The Raven's Omen
by JediAnn Solo
Summary: [FINISHED] Raven has gained the ability to turn into a bird after an accident with a new villian and the Titans welcome a new member to the team. A very peculiar member. Beware for BB&R moments XD
1. The Picnic Omen

Jedi: My very first Teen Titans fanfic! Yay! ::glee!:: ^_^ It's about frickin' time, anyway. I've been prolonging this for quite a long time! Now, you'll have to excuse me if somewhere in the story, some things may be kinda OOC. I'm still trying to get over my loss of cable TV... ::sniff:: ...and I've only seen three TT episodes. But I'll try to do my best with just that. Here's the first chappy! Read your heart out!  
  
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 1  
  
It was a crisp, yet beautiful Wednesday afternoon the day when the Teen Titans agreed to dine out a bit differently than usual. Packing mantles, raw food and a grill, they were off to the park to have a barbeque picnic. It was BeastBoy's idea, of course. But he had a bit of a dilemma getting everyone to get this straight.  
  
"A picnic?? All of us? At the park?" Robin had questioned. Cyborg was sitting beside him on the couch, both playing their newest videogame. Robin had paused the game to listen to BeastBoy.  
  
"Uh, yeah!" BeastBoy continued. "It might fun, you know. I've seen many other people do it and it looks really..."  
  
"Hold on," Cyborg had interrupted. "What are we gonna eat there?"  
  
Beastboy knew what he was leading up to. But he was ready for that. If they didn't want to eat their tofu, then he won't make them. He wanted this picnic to be flawless, and that meant everyone should be satisfied.  
  
"Whatever you want, man," he had said with a shrug.  
  
"Alright!" Cyborg grinned and stood up and ran to the kitchen to pick out his steaks.  
  
"So you're okay with it?" BeastBoy asked Robin.  
  
"Yeah, sure," he answered. "Go tell the girls and come back to me when you're ready."  
  
BeastBoy looked at him oddly for his dismissal, but just shrugged and carried on. After Robin and Cy, he went to talk to Starfire, who had absolutely no clue about what he was talking about. But she got the hang of it pretty quick... at least the picnic part.  
  
"So you are inviting everyone to a social gathering where we will be eating... 'barbeque' food for the afternoon meal? What is this...'barbeque' you speak of?" she had asked with curiosity.  
  
"It's uhh...a special kind of way to cook food, I guess," he said uncertainly.  
  
That was good enough for her to withstand. "Well, then I'll very much be looking forward to it!" she said happily.  
  
Last but certainly not least, he headed to Raven's room. He felt a bit guilty about disrupting her meditation, but by now he was used to her grim greeting.  
  
"So, let me get this straight," Raven had said after BeastBoy explained. "You want to take all of us outdoors, so you can charbroil our food and we eat it on the ground?" Her face twisted in both disgust and perplexity.  
  
"Um... yes?" he answered. 'Man, she won't come for that,' he thought.  
  
Raven face softened as she pondered. She looked around her and picked up a large, leather-bound book on her small table. The page marker was halfway through the book. She looked back at BeastBoy blankly.  
  
"Can I bring a book?" she asked.  
  
"Huh? Oh, y-yeah, you can bring that..." BeastBoy said hastily, but with a smile.  
  
Raven didn't answer. She nodded at him and turned her back.  
  
'I guess that's a yes,' he thought as he walked away to get everything ready. 'Boy, that was easier than I thought it would be.'  
  
So... that was it. It was a crisp, yet beautiful Wednesday afternoon and the Titans were off to the park. As they walked by, passing other park- goers, they looked out for a place to sit. Though Starfire was quite enthusiastic about "eating outdoors, contemplating the beautiful scenery", the others were still a little hesitant about this.  
  
"Don't worry, guys!" BeastBoy said, smelling their fear.  
  
Cyborg nudged at Robin. "Hey Robin," he said. "Did you remember to pack the three essentials? Blanket? Plates? Fire Extinguisher?" He cracked up at his own joke and Robin chuckled along. BeastBoy seethed at them.  
  
"Hey, come on! Gimme a little credit, will ya?" he griped. "It's gonna be good... you'll see..."  
  
Star giggled silently, even though she often had no comment for the boys' 'mockery'... Raven stayed silent; a mere unnoticed smile crept upon her face. After circling around for a few more minutes, they at last settled down in the grass. It was slightly breezy that fall afternoon; the winds from the cold northeast just seemed to fill the atmosphere. Even Cyborg admitted how nice it was to be out instead of cooped up in the tower.  
  
Almost instantaneously, Raven sat on the blanket cross-legged and continued her book with her back turned from her friends. She had figured that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on her reading when it was time to eat. But she took advantage of the time and kept going... until the blissful moment was interrupted by BeastBoy.  
  
"So, what'll you have, Raven?" she said to her with a grin.  
  
She shut her book noisily and exhaled. "What did you bring?"  
  
"Well, I--"  
  
A vital explosion was heard in the distance, causing the Titans to jump in astonishment. The turned their heads to where they heard it from, and beheld a tall cloud of black smoke coming from the outskirts of the city. People ran away from that direction, searching for help. Robin didn't waste a second more.  
  
"TITANS, LET'S GO!" he called out.  
  
The five teenage superheroes left their stuff behind and bolted to the scene of desolation and turmoil. Starfire was flying ahead of the group, following the smoke column stretching out and darkening the sky. It was a truly horrible prospect and it got worse the closer they got to the smoke. When they finally made it, they gasped in unison at the city orphanage engulfed in flames. The firemen had not arrived yet and there were many souls in there, trapped in the fire.  
  
"Woah..." Cyborg muttered. "I guess we should have brought the fire extinguisher after all..."  
  
"Starfire! Raven!" Robin yelled over the crackle of the fire. "You two take the backside! Find and rescue as many people as you can! Cyborg and I will take the frontage and Beast searches the top floor!"  
  
They nodded sharply in agreement and left to their duties. BeastBoy morphed into a pterodactyl and flew up to the windows, both looking out for victims and fanning the flames away from the nearby buildings.  
  
The front door was not on fire, but it was barricaded shut by the falling rooftop. Cyborg blasted the door open and Robin charged in, dodging the fire that emerged from the wooden floor. Many children were huddled together in a corner that still wasn't on fire. Most of them were badly singed and frightened. Cyborg forced open another window an instructed the kids to run out.  
  
Ashes fell in the way of Starfire's face, making it almost impossible to see where she was going. But she felt her way through the orphanage's kitchen, until she reached out and felt the warmth of someone's flesh. She immediately hugged the person tightly.  
  
"Don't worry!" she exclaimed to the being. "I'll get you out of here!"  
  
She was then pushed away by said person angrily. Starfire rubbed her eyes to see.  
  
"It's me, you dolt!" Raven growled, holding back her rage.  
  
"Oops... sorry Raven. I presumed you were an orphan child," Starfire said, a little embarrassed.  
  
Raven ignored her and looked across the hall. Two small boys were lying motionless on the ground. Raven's amethyst eyes widened and both she and Starfire carried them out of the building before the roof caved in. Star tended to the children - who were thankfully still alive - and Raven ran back inside, pushing away heaps of rubble with her telekinesis. She was choking at the lack of air. She pulled down her hood so to not absorb the heat.  
  
Across the room, she saw Robin and Cyborg leading more sufferers out of the orphanage. They spotted her and signaled everything was okay. Raven went back outside to help Starfire, but Star wasn't there. The two kids were now gone and Raven figured she had left to help Robin. But all of that changed when she heard Starfire's voice.  
  
"Raven! Help me!!" she cried out.  
  
Raven frowned and ran to where she heard Starfire from. 'This is pathetic,' she thought. 'We're supposed to be the heroes here! I bet she just got her boot stuck on a thorn bush.' She turned to an alley nearby, but it was empty. She ran ahead to see if it truly was isolated, and much to her surprise, she found out it wasn't..... the hard way. She was hit by an energy ray coming from a nearby doorway. It paralyzed her and she fell to her knees, unable to fight back. Her vision was beginning to get hazy until she was totally blinded.  
  
~"Raven..."~ Starfire's cries for help echoed through her mind.  
  
She felt like she was being dragged away. But she couldn't do anything about it. She slowly drifted off to unconsciousness.  
  
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To Be Continued...  
  
Jedi: Please review if you want me to continue! Thanx for reading! ^.^ 


	2. The Four Legged Omen

Jedi: Here I am, back way sooner than I thought. Thanks to Tao, Ravendarkprincess, Johnny Cage, I'm-A-Shady-Gurl, TriforceofWisdom, ashlee and gamegurl mirai for reviewing! Gamegurl, thanks for telling me about that mistake I made. Sometimes I write so fast, I don't even know what I'm doing. ^^ But anyway, without further delay, here's the second chapter!  
  
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 2  
  
The firemen arrived at the scene just as soon as the Titans had made sure everyone was away from the flames. Six fire trucks were parked in the curb and dozens of firefighters fought to put out the fire (nawh, really?). The police void-tape kept everyone away from the hazardous place and Robin and Cyborg were standing with the crowd, watching the flames ease down.  
  
"This couldn't have been an accident," Robin thought out loud. "The fire engulfed the entire building almost at once. And no one here saw it coming..."  
  
"Yeah, but... who could have been responsible?" Cyborg asked.  
  
Before Robin could tell him his hypothesis, BeastBoy stepped into the middle of the conversation, grinning from ear to ear. Cyborg frowned at him.  
  
"What are you so happy about?!" he said grimly and insultingly, mostly trying to concentrate on the fire incident.  
  
"Hey, dudes! Look what I found stuck in the thorn bushes beside the orphanage!" He pointed down beside him at a slightly singed golden retriever with a burnt tail and a limp paw. Robin sighed and looked at Cyborg, who just rolled his eyes at the poor creature.  
  
"So? It's a dog. It must belong to someone, BeastBoy... just let it go." He turned back to Robin, nodding for him to continue. But BeastBoy interrupted again as Cyborg opened his mouth to talk.  
  
"I tried! But he won't stop following me. I think he likes me." BeastBoy patted the dog.  
  
"Of course it does. You are an animal, after all..."  
  
"We need to huddle," Robin continued. "Where are Starfire and Raven?"  
  
"I dunno," BeastBoy said shrugging. "I thought they were with you."  
  
The three ran behind the structure to look for the girls and found nobody. Robin began to get concerned. They began calling out their names and they received no answer. Asking rescued kids if they had seen the girls... one of the boys did see Raven running down an alley and he pointed it out for them. Robin looked in but it was deserted. He sighed in disappointment and started to turn away. But the retriever that had been following BeastBoy limped to an isolated door in the alley and barked sharply.  
  
"Something's going on in there?" he asked the dog, which he then thought was kind of stupid since the dog wasn't going to answer back. But the retriever barked again and scratched the door.  
  
~\~/~  
  
~"Raven... can you hear me?"~  
  
"Starfire...? W-where are you?" Raven managed to whisper.  
  
~"I am precisely at your side. Can you open your eyes?"~  
  
Starfire's voice seemed so distant to Raven. Raven opened her eyes but she was still partially blinded by the blast. It had hit her directly to her face and chest, without any way to prevent it. But her vision slowly improved until she noticed the red and purple blur she was seeing was Starfire. Starfire smiled at her in huge relief.  
  
"Oh, you are okay! I was afraid the shock may have paralyzed you for good!" she said merrily as she helped Raven to her feet.  
  
"What did happen, anyway?" Raven questioned in monotone.  
  
Raven was near-sighted still and couldn't see where they were. Starfire looked around once again and sighed sadly.  
  
"I have been deceived by the loveliness of the golden canine's appearance," she said. "I reached to help him out of the bushes, but a strange force picked me up and heaved me to this glowing prison."  
  
"What glowing prison?" Raven was alarmed and ran to the opposite direction, ramming into a green, shimmering fortification. She fell backwards at the shock and painful sting it brought (A/N: Ever seen 'Titan A.E'? Well, it's sort of like the Drej prison... except that one was blue). She stood up and furiously rammed her fists at the wall. When that didn't work, she took a few steps back, still facing the wall.  
  
"It is no use, Raven," Starfire urged. "I have attempted to destroy the barricade, but I'm just not powerful enough for these mysterious rays."  
  
Raven disregarded Star. Raven raised her arms, her palms stretching out to the wall. She breathed through her teeth as she gathered in her dark energy. Starfire withdrew nervously, knowing she was dangerously close to the target. Raven's eyes began to glow. The moving energy made her cape flutter.  
  
"Azarath..."  
  
"Raven, don't!" Starfire exclaimed.  
  
"...Metrion..."  
  
"We're in an enclosed space! You could get hurt!"  
  
"...Zinthus!"  
  
Too late to take it back, the dark beams released and barely making a scuff in the wall. As Starfire predicted, the beam bounced back to Raven, knocking both her and Starfire down. The impact wasn't so great, thankfully, because Starfire's warnings threw Raven out of concentration. Both girls sat up, rubbing their heads.  
  
"I tried to alert you," Starfire said softly.  
  
Raven sighed loudly and scowled at herself. "I know. I'm... sorry."  
  
She crawled near the wall, able to see faintly through it. She squinted to take a good look at this 'lair' they were trapped in. It resembled a small, windowless apartment and it was an awful mess. Two single candles lit the room dimly. There were all sorts of machinery strewn about on the ground, and one really big thing in the corner covered with a large tarp. Raven tilted her head lower to the ground to see what was under, but a black boot stood on the way.  
  
"Curious?" a voice said from the other side of the cell. "Don't worry... you'll get to meet my precious machine soon enough."  
  
Starfire and Raven shot upward and stared at the kidnapper's face. It was a woman, just about an inch taller than Starfire. Ebony black hair hung a bit past her shoulders, her dark green eyes stared at the two teen heroines maliciously, and her gray clothing made her appearance very eerie. She smirked at them for a moment before she turned her back and walked to her mess.  
  
Raven raised an eyebrow at the lady. She was surprised she hasn't blabbed about her plan on capturing them.  
  
"You must be kind of confused," the lady said, holding a Styrofoam cup with coffee in her left hand. "Let me fill you in the details... my name is Mistress Megara, to my peers. I have been in the scientific industry for fifteen years, until some new young executive came along and fired me." Megara growled angrily at the memory and crushed her cup with her hand.  
  
"Mostly I keep to myself and my inventions now... but along came a client..." she smiled. "He guarantied me that he himself would get me a much larger occupation than before... on the account that I exterminate the Titans off first."  
  
"Why are you interested in just catching the two of us, then?" Raven said grimly, referring to her and Star.  
  
"Oh no, no, no! Don't get me wrong. I am leading to capture all of your bratty little friends... and since Red's little exclamations for help worked quite well on you, I suppose we'll give that another spin."  
  
"Oh, I knew that beautiful golden hound was under you will!" Starfire said a bit mad.  
  
"She's talking about you, Starfire," Raven said, rolling her eyes under the hood.  
  
"It is time to come face to face with your destiny." Megara said pulling off the tarp and revealing the immense machine hooked up with many wires forcefully shoved into the wall's electric outlet. It wasn't very menacing, but it didn't look welcoming either...  
  
"And for my first test subject..."  
  
Mistress Megara put her hand against the glowing barricade, causing it to open slightly. Then, a familiar force snagged Raven out of the cell robustly and onto the machine. Starfire rushed to the opening, but Megara swished her hand away, causing the opening to close.  
  
"No! Let me out!!" Starfire pounded the wall brutally. She gazed at Raven helplessly. She was so very close to her friend... but there was nothing she could do. She could only sit back, watch Raven perish, and await her own turn. Starfire sat with her head between her knees, too scared to see what was going to take place. She shut her eyes tightly, only hearing the sound of the machinery revving up.  
  
But there was another faint noise outside... the sound of a dog barking.  
  
~\~/~  
  
Cyborg and BeastBoy rushed to the alley when they heard the barks of the retriever. They saw the dog running with a limp in circles, stopping at moments to scratch on the door. Robin was standing facing the door, looking like he was about to go inside.  
  
"Hold up, Robin!" Cyborg shouted, catching Robin's attention before he could enter. "You can't just barge into an apartment! We've learned that from past experiences..."  
  
Robin gazed at the door blankly. He wasn't listening.  
  
"Yeah," BeastBoy agreed. "Really risqué experiences..."  
  
"Starfire and Raven could be in there..." Robin finally said. "BeastBoy, slide under the door and investigate."  
  
Without dithering, BeastBoy morphed into a small garden snake and slithered under the door. When he was across, he turned back to himself and walked quietly down the stairway. An electrical noise came from the bottom of the stairway.  
  
'Could be a blender or something,' BeastBoy thought, turning away sure that there was nothing going on in there. But there was a shrill scream. A scream he did not recognize, but at the same time he was sure it was someone he knew. He bashed the door open and gasped.  
  
"OH MY GOD!"  
  
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To Be Continued... 


	3. A Quick Rescue

Jedi: I have returned with chapter numbuh three. Be proud of me!  
  
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 3  
  
Soaking in the torture, Raven tried everything in her willpower to not yell out. She couldn't let herself be found by the rest of the Titans. But a pulse of energy had shot through her veins and she couldn't help but shriek out in pain. Just then, the door was smashed open by... a gorilla? No, wait... that was BeastBoy! Starfire let out a whoop of triumph, knowing her teammates came to help. Raven grimaced at being found, but another part of her was so glad he was there.  
  
The first thing that caught BeastBoy's eye was the shimmering cell that Starfire was locked in. But his reactions bolted when seeing Raven with her hands and legs wired, quaking violently and withstanding the urge to cry. It was the most horrific sight he has ever seen. His eyes bulged out in fright.  
  
"OH MY GOD!" he cried out in shock. And that was enough for Robin and Cyborg to understand that there was something very wrong going on. Finally down the flight of stairs, the two also couldn't help but gawk at the situation. There was nobody else around... or so they thought. So they charged ahead to help their friends.  
  
But out of the shadows came Mistress Megara, equipping a rifle-like machine, plated in lead and unlike any other gun. Bullets weren't needed and it had four sockets connected with even more electrical wires. She abrasively pointed it to the boys.  
  
"Congratulations, children!" she exclaimed. "You should be honored to be captured and be in the presence of such an eminent, creative genius as myself. Too bad you can't stop for autographs..."  
  
The rifle cocked and the three Titans spread out automatically. Megara fired at the closest Titan possible to her range, and it turned out be Robin. The electric blast from the gun hit his left ankle when he was in the middle of a leap towards Starfire. The blast paralyzed him from the waist down and he was not able to use his legs.  
  
"One down, two to go," Megara said smugly.  
  
BeastBoy rushed to Robin, hoping he was not severely hurt, but he set that thought aside when he noticed out the corner of his eye that Mistress Megara was aiming at him. Morphing into a mouse, he scurried under the chaotic mess of tools on the floor, where the psycho-lady couldn't see him. The machine that was basically sucking the energy out of Raven was still running. BeastBoy -- still as a mouse -- ran to the wiring.  
  
"Now, how do I deactivate this thing?" he thought out loud, staring thoughtfully at the many electric cables before him. Having no idea of what to do, he chose the risk. "Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo... catch a lizard by the toe." BeastBoy grasped a random cable and cut it with his teeth.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAUUUGH!" Raven screamed even louder. Something had happened. That throbbing she had just felt wasn't like the others... it reached her very soul and spread through her body with a sting. Sweat from her forehead started to drip out from under her attire's hood.  
  
"My bad!" BeastBoy panicked and proceeded to pull out all of the wiring until the machine had stopped. But Raven was half-conscious by then.  
  
While all of this was happening, Cyborg had run to the cell that held Starfire and he looked around, searching for some sort of device to get her out. When there was none, he laid his hand against the glowing wall. Nothing happened.  
  
"Oh no!" Starfire said after seeing this. "Only the uncanny lady has the capability to open this gleaming chamber! Cyborg! You must catch her and--"  
  
Before she could even finish, Cyborg had blasted a flare at the cell, causing it to just dematerialize. For a moment, Star stood in awe and mystification at what just happened.  
  
"...oh," she finally uttered silently.  
  
Megara was not in the mood that day. Grunting in annoyance, she held up her rifle and set to shoot Cyborg and Star. She grinned maliciously as she saw their shocked faces and was just about to pull the trigger, but she unexpectedly dropped it and cried out, clutching her foot. Megara tripped over a piece of a motor and fell backwards.  
  
BeastBoy turned back to his original form, and started spitting in repugnance. He walked to Cyborg, who was pulling Robin up to his feet.  
  
"Dude, I was expecting a picnic with my friends today, not a late-arrival rescue, a burned tongue from chewing cables and biting a crazed villain's nasty foot!" He stuck out his charred up tongue and Cyborg recoiled.  
  
"Man, what makes you think I wanna see that?!" he cried out, turning away disgusted by BeastBoy's mouth.  
  
Megara was slowly getting up, gradually leaning toward her weapon.  
  
"Concentrate, guys!" Robin said. He could now move, so he wobbled to his feet and stretched his legs. "Where did Starfire go?"  
  
Starfire was unhooking Raven from the cuffs and lines. She grabbed her shoulders and stood her up.  
  
"Let's go, Raven!" she said letting her go, which made Raven fall to the ground. "Oops. I-I'm sorry... but we must leave now!" Star picked her up by the shoulders again and the rest of the Titans helped as well. Evidently, they had to carry her all the way back to the Tower.  
  
"Hold it!" they heard Megara's voice say. Turning rapidly, they see she was now back on her feet, holding her electric stun rifle. "I am going to get my job back! You all die today!"  
  
Cyborg raised his eyebrow and glanced at Robin. "Now?" he asked.  
  
Robin nodded.  
  
"It's time to go to the offensive!" Robin said, bounding to the opposite wall, bouncing against it heading for Megara and knocking her rifle away. Using starbolt, Starfire blew up most of the mistress' backup weapons, revealing the woman to be just another crazed person. She was nothing without her equipment and it was well-shown. She had fallen to her knees and stared around bewildered at her shattered laboratory.  
  
"My... precious..." she whispered in a sob.  
  
"Oh, please," BeastBoy rolled his eyes. "Can you be any more clichéd?"  
  
"Good job, Titans," Robin proclaimed, kicking excess rubble out of his way. "Let's send the mistress back to jail and take Raven back home." He looked down at Raven, concerned. "I have a feeling she'll be staying handicapped for awhile..."  
  
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To Be Continued... 


	4. Omen Shall Be His Name

Much to do... Much, much to do. Cannot talk much... so I leave you here with the newest chappy. Rejoice.  
  
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 4  
  
Raven stirred in what she thought would be heaps of metal from the mistress' lab, but what she felt instead was the soft, cool comfort of her own bed. She twitched and curled her fingers, touching the silky fabric with her fingertips. Opening her right eye, she saw the single window on the secluded room partly open; birds sat on the sill holding twigs.  
  
She moved her arms to her sides, though they felt unusually numb. Raven tilted her head to see why; however, it was twilight outside and too dark to see. The teen closed her eyes again, not sure why she was back home. But she didn't argue... the peace and tranquility eased her soul. Finally, she could sit back and meditate.  
  
"Would you just pick it up already?!"  
  
"You are NOT the boss of me! I need to find the right size first!!"  
  
Raven closed her eyes tightly and cringed. 'Oh, great,' she thought angrily. There were others in the room.  
  
"Just pick one!! Home ain't going to collapse because of that!"  
  
"How would you know?!"  
  
A bolt of energy surged in Raven as she forgot all about her bodily pain and shot straight up, scowling. She looked around the room sharply, looking for whoever was yelling. But excluding her, there was nobody else in the room. She arched her eyebrow, seeing only a first-aid kit by the coffee table, her attire laid over an armchair and the two birds at the window.  
  
"I must be hearing things or something," she muttered to herself, not hearing a creak at the door and someone coming in. "I can't get up on my feet yet, so I must have taken a big hit of something like that..."  
  
Raven now got a chance to look down at her numb arms and legs. They were all wrapped tightly in bandages; some spots had blood oozing out. Her head started spinning again and she lay back down to rest.  
  
Her head was uncomfortably shifted to the right, away from the door. She slowly adjusted her head to the left, when her eyes met two cold, beady eyeballs. She jumped nearly five feet in the air in response of the shock, and she was briefly hyperventilating. When she relaxed a bit, she growled in infuriation when she saw it was a dog.  
  
"If you ever do that again to me, BeastBoy, I swear I'll kill you!!" she scolded.  
  
But the dog wagged its tail and looked ahead with a doggie grin. Raven's grimace slowly faded when she realized that wasn't BeastBoy.  
  
"Oh, Raven! You are awake!!" shouted the quirky voice of Starfire. "I am so happy of your wellbeing!"  
  
Starfire ran to Raven with outstretched arms and picked her up in a hug. Raven's face flushed both in embarrassment and displeasure.  
  
"I'm fine," she muttered in monotone.  
  
"Me, Robin, Cyborg and BeastBoy have been anticipating of your awakening for almost four hours!" Starfire said as she put Raven down.  
  
Raven had not listened to what Starfire had said.  
  
"Erm... Starfire?" she asked reluctantly.  
  
"Yes, Raven?"  
  
"Why is there a dog in the Tower?"  
  
"Oh, I see you have not been introduced yet! Goldie here was rescued by BeastBoy earlier today!" she said with a grin.  
  
Raven arched an eyebrow again. "Goldie?"  
  
Upon the racket, Robin and Cyborg entered the room with relieved smiles.  
  
"Boy, I'm glad I was wrong," Robin said in a joking matter. "I though you'd be knocked out for a week after that thrashing you took."  
  
"Thrashing?" Raven asked, feeling like she hasn't awoken for months.  
  
"Mistress Megara Apparatus is in jail now, of course," Robin sat down in the bed beside Raven to explain. "After we took you back here, we discovered some sort of odd antacid that has been introduced into your blood. It could have dried up your entire body..."  
  
"But lucky for you, I stepped in to the rescue!" said BeastBoy as he swiftly made his way to Robin's left side. "Your life was in my hands today... kinda makes you wanna give me your undying gratitude, huh?" he said with a grin.  
  
Raven didn't answer back.  
  
"Well, if you don't mind me getting off the subject," Raven said, "may I please ask once again... why is there a dog here?"  
  
"A dog?!" Cyborg asked, suddenly aware. "Beast, what is that thing doing in here?!"  
  
"I don't know! He just followed me here!" BeastBoy said with a shrug. "Before I went to catch up with you and Robin, I asked the orphanage's manager about him. She told me the dog had been roaming around for weeks, or something. He's homeless..."  
  
Cyborg looked at the golden retriever and back at BeastBoy suspiciously. "What are you getting at?" he asked.  
  
"I dunno, man," he scratched his scalp and walked over to the dog. "I was thinking... maybe if we can't find someone to take care of it, we could, um... keep it!"  
  
"What?! No way!!" Cyborg immediately rejected. "I'm not having some scruffy dog walk around our rooms and destroying our couch and--"  
  
"What the heck... let's give it a try." Robin said.  
  
"WHAT?!?" Raven and Cy both shouted. BeastBoy beamed victoriously and he childishly stuck his tongue out at Cyborg. Starfire's eyes glimmered with cheerfulness; getting overexcited, she hugged Robin tightly, causing the Boy-Wonder's face to flush.  
  
"Oh, joy!!!" She squealed and squeezed the poor dog, whose eyes almost bulged out of his head. "It's been so many yarois since I had a pet!!"  
  
BeastBoy flinched, thinking the dog might be getting choked to death by the red-haired alien. But the dog let out a feeble bark, causing Starfire to finally let him go. He limped to where Raven was, put his forepaws on top of the bed and looked up at the girl with big irresistible puppy eyes. Raven smirked a bit and patted the retriever's head.  
  
"So, now there's two more matters to resolve now, I suppose..." Robin started with arms akimbo. "What his name will be is the first."  
  
"Not to worry about that!" Starfire said. "I have already named him... Goldie!"  
  
All the boys sweatdropped.  
  
"Starfire?" Raven said cautiously. "Maybe we should listen at the others' name opinions first before deciding, don't you think?"  
  
"Yes, of course."  
  
"I was thinking Ashes... I mean, Beast did find him next to the burning building, right?" Robin said.  
  
"That's pretty girly if you ask me," Cyborg said.  
  
"Well, nobody DID ask you."  
  
"Hey, don't take it like that, man. But I think it would be better if we named him something intimidating... like... Giant!"  
  
All Titans turned their heads to the handicapped dog that stood no taller than a yard. Then they looked back at Cyborg bizarrely.  
  
"Well... Goldie sounds like a fish's name!" Cy said in his defense.  
  
Raven gazed down at her feet as she pondered in silence. Everyone saw her doing this and stopped arguing. The room stayed in complete silence for a few moments, until BeastBoy broke the ice.  
  
"You know... if it wasn't for... whatever we're gonna call this pup here... we wouldn't have found you and Starfire on time, Raven," he said softly. "He actually led us straight to you both."  
  
Raven smiled a bit as she heard these words, and this time it did not go unnoticed now that everyone could see her face plainly. Starfire also smiled and she carefully sat beside Raven in the edge of the bed. She nodded in agreement of what BeastBoy had said.  
  
"Our canine friend has truly been an omen to our escape," she said.  
  
"Then it's settled," Raven said softly, almost inaudibly.  
  
"What?" the others asked.  
  
"His name... shall be Omen..."  
  
The four Titans exchanged glances and silently agreed.  
  
"What's the other matter to resolve?" Starfire asked Robin.  
  
"Who will he be sleeping with," he said with a smile.  
  
It was all suddenly pandemonium as everyone started speaking simultaneously.  
  
"Oh! He can live in my quarters!!" Starfire said. "I will take care of him as I would to a brother! I will brush his furry pelt! And I shall dress him up!..."  
  
"Well, he ain't sleeping in my room!" Cyborg argued with BeastBoy.  
  
"Dude, what have you got against the dog?!" BeastBoy said.  
  
Starfire continued: "And I shall play with him! And I shall share my blue furry food with him!..."  
  
"Nothing! I'm just not very enthusiastic about having a loose haired mutt sniffing around my room! He should sleep with you! Your room is made for an animal!"  
  
"Now, you guys! Take it easy!" Robin tried to make peace.  
  
While all the mayhem was going on, Raven had to lie down again. The spinning sensation on her head had come back... but this time, the horrible pain she had felt throughout her whole body when she was strapped to the mistress' machine has come back with it. Her forehead and tightened fists began to sweat wildly and she let out a yelp and started gritting her teeth.  
  
The rest of the team had not noticed what she was going through at all because of their deafening arguments. Raven knew this was completely ridiculous of them and kicked down at the bed to get their attention.  
  
"Raven?! What's the matter?!" they asked.  
  
As quick as the pain had come, it just left. Raven laid back at the sudden shock and breathed heavily.  
  
"Guys?" BeastBoy said with alarm. "Something's very wrong here..."  
  
They had noticed Raven's skin had become darker in color until it reached an ebony black. Omen - still with his forepaws on the bed - tilted his head and whimpered a bit as he watched his new friend suffer. Her eyes glowed abnormally until they brightly shined white. Her arms shrank in size and sprouted many small feathers. It was no less than a minute later that the Titans grasped the fact that... they were watching Raven... transform into a bird.  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
To Be Continued... 


	5. Birds Are People, Too

I'm awfully sorry for the long wait, but I'm writing three stories at the same time and I'm trying to keep a cycle going. Obviously, it's not working. But I finally got around finishing this chappy. So, be happy now. Here it is...  
  
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 5  
  
Raven stood up as quick as a flash, seeing from a mirror across the room that she had turned into a...  
  
"Raven?"  
  
She turned her head quickly to BeastBoy, who had said her name uncertainly. His face looked disoriented in shock and so did everyone else's. Cyborg's mouth hanged open and Starfire's eyes grew wider than anyone else would ever think they would go. Raven stretched her arms and only saw immense, dark wings at her side.  
  
'This must be a dream,' she thought to herself.  
  
"I don't know," Cyborg said after pinching himself. "This seems pretty real to me."  
  
Raven stayed silent for a moment. But then she stepped back and shook her head.  
  
'Did... did he just read my thoughts?'  
  
"They sound clear to me," Robin said. "Say something."  
  
Raven opened her beak so she could speak ((heheh... that rhymes)) but what came out in its place was a screeching "caw". Everyone jumped, including little Omen, who shank down under the bed fearfully. Raven figured she could only communicate with her friends by thoughts... but... why? Why has this happened to her?!  
  
'Why did this have to happen to me?' she thought. 'Am I really stuck like this for the rest of my life?'  
  
"Come on, Rae. It can't be that bad," BeastBoy said.  
  
'Yes, it can. Look at me!' she flew up and landed on the large dresser mirror. 'I'm not meant to be a bird! I am supposed to fight crime and all that junk, not make nests and sleep on the trees! I am Raven, not 'a' raven.'  
  
"Yes, but--"  
  
'But nothing! I shouldn't be like this! I am NOT A BIRD!!'  
  
At the sudden violent flow of anger, the mirror glowed dark and shattered into a hundred pieces.  
  
"Woah, take it easy there," BeastBoy said, backing away.  
  
"You still have your powers, though," Robin said astonished. "W-wait a minute! Raven, it could be a skill!"  
  
'What?'  
  
"Maybe you can just transform into a bird."  
  
"That is possible," Cyborg muttered.  
  
Raven considered this and came down from the broken mirror. She landed gracefully on the floor and folded back her wings. The rest of the Titans stepped back when they noticed they could practically see the energy building up on Raven.  
  
'Azarath Metrion Zinthos!'  
  
A gigantic blast of energy dissolved unto the wall, eating away at least half of it. The Titans stared at this overwhelmingly. But quickly gazing back at Raven, her true self was now standing there instead of the bird. Starfire clapped merrily and grinned from ear to ear.  
  
"Sorry about the wall," was all Raven could say.  
  
"Don't worry about that... at least you're okay. I'll have that fixed up by 10:00 tonight." Robin said.  
  
Now back to her original form, Raven picked up her attire from the armchair, left the recovery room and proceeded to her bedroom. Out of curiosity and concern, the others began to follow her there. Even Omen who left his spot from under the bed and barked at the teens to get their attention. He fell down on his side after tripping over his own paws. A wave of compassion came over Cyborg and he picked up the dog.  
  
"You know, I think we'd better do something about this paw of his soon," he said. "Until we decide who's room will he be sleeping in, I'm letting him stay in mine for the night."  
  
"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist," BeastBoy said slyly.  
  
"Shut up. I'm just helping out. If he ever goes inside Starfire's room, it'll probably break him..." Cyborg walked away, still holding Omen.  
  
"Robin? Will Omen really shatter to pieces if he is to enter my room?" Starfire asked.  
  
"No, Star. Cyborg's just saying that..... it'd be better if he was with the boys." Robin said, carefully choosing the right words to not hurt her feelings. "I mean, Omen is male, after all."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"I wonder what's he gonna do to him, anyway?" BeastBoy mumbled to practically no one.  
  
"Well, since nobody here is taking much concern about what has just happened to me, I should be getting ready to sleep." Raven said. "And it would really help if everyone would please get out of my room."  
  
"Yes, well... have a pleasant evening slumber, Raven! Good night!" Starfire exited and skipped all the way to her bedroom.  
  
"Raven, I'll make sure that by tomorrow I will have a much more believable theory for all of this..." Robin assured.  
  
"Good night," Raven said ruthlessly.  
  
Taking the hint, Robin left quickly. Raven exhaled through her clenched teeth and turned away, facing her windowless wall. So much has occurred in just one day. She prepped up to meditate before she went to sleep, but halted when she noted there was still somebody there.  
  
"What is it, BeastBoy?" she said without even turning to face him.  
  
"Um... not much," he said meekly, unable to look at her straight in the eye. "Just wanna double-check if you're okay."  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. Now, please leave."  
  
"Listen; I know this isn't really what you might want to deal with now, but..."  
  
"You want me to praise you for you saving my life?" she said with a roll of the eyes. "BeastBoy, thank you. I would never be here at this moment if it wasn't for you."  
  
There was a minute of silence before BeastBoy welled up the courage to talk again.  
  
"Okay, first of all, that was notably sarcasm," he began. "Secondly, all I wanted to ask you is... uh... is-- what I wanted to ask..."  
  
"You are running out of time and I am running out of patience."  
  
"Hey, you do realize you're now able to do so many things with this new transformation thing?" he said, completely leaving his original subject behind. "I could teach you to do some maneuvers and techniques and lots of other stuff! Maybe we could get together and plan a lesson tomorrow."  
  
"Really?" Raven said, finally turning to BeastBoy. "You'd really waste your precious videogame time to teach me how to be a bird?"  
  
"Yeah! Come on, it'll be fun! Please?"  
  
"I'll do it... if you leave my room this instant."  
  
"Cool!" He began to walk backwards to the door, still facing Raven. "You won't regret it! I promise! ...ow!" He banged his head against the door frame, so he turned to face the door and left Raven's room to head for his own.  
  
He exhaled sharply and grinned in satisfaction. 'That went well,' he thought.  
  
Raven, on the other hand was kind of taken aback by BeastBoy's offer. It was unlike him to want to interfere in her life, but eventually she just shoved it off as a random act of kindness. Getting herself into position, she silently meditated before bedtime.  
  
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos... Azarath Metrion Zinthos..."  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
To Be Continued... 


	6. Early Breakfast Feast

Jedi: Thanks for all the replies and encouragements, people. So to not forget to notify everyone later, my website just opened a few days ago. If you'd like to visit it and read my 5X-a-week journal, it's the Homepage link above my bio. And now here's the sixth chapter of this fanfic.  
  
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 6  
  
"Morning, Raven!" Starfire said cheerfully. "Please sit, for Robin and BeastBoy are making us the special breakfast feast!"  
  
As Raven sat down at the table beside Star, she awkwardly gazed around at the neat, clean and colorful room. She supposed that the boys still felt bad about not being there for the girls earlier than they should have, and they prepared a special breakfast for them. Raven didn't mind the attention, but there was something about going to the extremes to do these kinds of things just for an apology that she thought was completely ridiculous.  
  
Moments later, Robin came out of the kitchen, carrying two steaming hot plates of freshly made waffles with blueberry, strawberry and maple syrup. He grinned from ear to ear when he saw Starfire's face as she contemplated her breakfast plate topped with mustard. Robin set down Raven's plate before her and stepped back, not really knowing what to expect; but still with a small smile.  
  
Raven wrinkled her nose and looked up at Robin with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"I'm surprised the smoke detector didn't go off..." she said. "Are these from the microwave by any chance?"  
  
Raven didn't really want to say that. But she always tended to say (or not say) whatever crossed her mind first whenever she opened her mouth to speak. Keeping other feelings and confessions inside of her until they piled up would cause confusion and emotional discharge.  
  
But Robin didn't take it so hard.  
  
"No. It took us over an hour to get it right. So, you're very welcome..."  
  
He walked away, leaving her and Starfire alone to eat. She slowly cut her food into small pieces and ate them carefully. She found the waffles to be quite delicious and proceeded to eat contentedly, though not exactly showing it. Well, Starfire had already plummeted into her food. Raven moved her seat another few good inches away from Star and the flying clots of mustard that sprinkled out of her plate.  
  
'Starfire does have unusual etiquette when she's hungry...' Raven thought. '...and happy... and eccentric... and just plain crazy...'  
  
Stopping her thoughts, BeastBoy vigorously walked to the table with freshly- prepared breakfast... tofu. He sat down at the table and tried to sustain his watering mouth. He gave Raven a sideway glance and smiled, serving himself some tofu eggs also.  
  
"Mornin' Raven! Didja have a good night's sleep?" he said.  
  
"Uh-huh," Raven simply replied.  
  
"Good! Hope you have lots of energy, 'cuz I figure we should start working after breakfast!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Robin said, walking in and sitting down beside Starfire.  
  
BeastBoy hesitated a bit, but Raven said it for him, anyway.  
  
"We agreed yesterday night that he would teach me how to use my new ability," she said.  
  
Robin's eyes went from Raven to BeastBoy and a sly smile curved up his lips. BeastBoy blushed slightly, but shot the boy-wonder a threatening look that unmistakably said, "It's not what you think! You dare say a word and I'll eat you, bones and all!"  
  
Unmistakably.  
  
"Hey, speaking of which, Raven," Robin continued. "I found out those antacids that stayed within you didn't fade away. Instead, they oozed out of your bloodstream and into your nervous system and gathered in the brain. The mental shock must have altered your powers and obviously, given you these new ones."  
  
Raven blinked. "H-how did you find out all of that?" she asked.  
  
Robin merely shrugged and uneasily served himself some tofu bacon.  
  
"It's pretty cool what you can do with just a computer and a hair sample," he said.  
  
"I smell waffles!" Cyborg's voice was heard. "They smell like REAL waffles!!"  
  
His thundering footsteps getting near, everyone held onto their plates. Cyborg entered the dining room and his jaw almost dropped when he saw Starfire and Raven's exquisite breakfast.  
  
"Oh, no you don't!" BeastBoy said immediately. "Those are for the girls! You are eating MY breakfast, just like Robin is..."  
  
Cyborg would have put up a fight, but he was too tired. He had stayed up late the last night and he had sped down to the table, hoping to see his dream breakfast. He just shrugged and sat down to eat. BeastBoy eyed him carefully and cringed.  
  
"Dude, how long have you stayed up last night? Omen kept ya awake?" he said.  
  
Cyborg suddenly shot upward, getting everyone's attention.  
  
"Oh, man! I almost forgot!!" he cried out. "OMEN! C'mere boy!"  
  
Scampering dog paws were heard in the distance, and much to the surprise of the Titans, Omen entered the room almost six seconds after being called. Robin, Raven and BeastBoy's jaws dropped in shock. Starfire hadn't noticed any of this... she was way too engulfed in her own plate of mustard waffles.  
  
"Man, how did he get down here so fast?!" BeastBoy practically shouted.  
  
Cyborg beamed and pointed at Omen's limp paw... or where his limp paw used to be. It was now replaced with a robotic leg that the retriever could easily move as if it was real.  
  
"I was working on it all night. It came out pretty cool, huh?" Cyborg said proudly.  
  
"Yeah, it did," Robin said as he got up from his seat and walked to the dog to see the mechanical paw closer. "This is amazing, Cy..."  
  
"Yeah," BeastBoy said. "Like father, like son... HAHAHAHA!"  
  
"Very funny," Cyborg muttered, getting back to the table.  
  
"Yes it is, isn't it?" Beast shot back.  
  
~\~/~  
  
Megara didn't mind prison much. It was like a second home, considering she has been there a few times before. And the coffee was better there. But she seethed whenever she thought about those 'Titan brats' and how things would have been like if she hadn't underestimated them. She would have been in her new executive office now.  
  
Instead, she was residing in a dirty cell, sitting in the far corner with her head between her knees. She just wanted to scream. But was held down by thought after thought.  
  
"Ms. Apparatus?" an officer said.  
  
Megara lifted her head and glanced at the policeman with a scorn.  
  
"What is it?" she mumbled.  
  
"You have a visitor..."  
  
The officer left the hallway and Megara slowly stood up and walked to the gate of her prison cell, looking for whoever wished to talk to her. She didn't have a clue to who it could be, since she had no friends, nor family.  
  
"Mistress, I presume?" a voice said from the shadows.  
  
A ray of hope suddenly struck Megara.  
  
"M-master??"  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
To Be Continued... 


	7. Second Chance and Another Skill

Jedi: I know, I know, I took long! Just calm down and read the chappy already! ^^ Hope you like.  
  
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 7  
  
Mistress Megara's mentor was indeed 'visiting' her; but he stayed in the shadows to her left, keeping his distance from the security camera far on the right. Megara understood this and looked down at the ground, trying to not make any eye contact.  
  
"Yes, it is me..." he continued. "And do you know why I bothered to come up here to you in person, Meg?"  
  
"Well, uh--"  
  
"I saw you in action yesterday. And I saw that your fall was due to the failure of your oversized weaponry as well."  
  
Megara stood aghast and couldn't help but to look up at her master. She had forgotten that she was under surveillance the whole time... and they must have definitely noticed that she took the Titans too lightly.  
  
"It seems you underestimated the Titans... as I have warned you not to," he said.  
  
"Please, sir! Have mercy!" Megara cried out in shame, falling to her knees. "I know I have done wrong and I will understand if you wish for me to not work for you anymore, but spare my life..."  
  
She cringed when hearing her master's sinister chuckle echoing in the room.  
  
"I liked your vigor, Meg. That's why you were perfect for the job. And as soon as get you out of here, I want you to hunt down the Titans yourself."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your lack of space was completely against you, and now you'll have to take them down in their own home..."  
  
"You'd... really give me another chance?" Megara said in aghast.  
  
"Yes... but if you mess up this time... the deal will be off. And so will your existence."  
  
~\~/~  
  
"Okay Rae, now let's see you do this again."  
  
Raven was getting tired of this. She had been practicing transforming from bird to girl for the fifty minutes. But she just silently agreed and spread her arms to her sides as if getting ready for the transformation. She searched deep within herself and found the mantra that appeared to trigger the conversion much faster.  
  
"Zinthos... Zinthos..." she would mutter to herself and could practically feel herself rapidly getting smaller, quicker and energized. Opening her eyes again she looked down to once again find talons instead of feet, and she glanced up at BeastBoy. He was beaming widely and clapping vigorously.  
  
"Awesome! That was way faster than last time!" he cried out.  
  
Raven would have been mortified about BeastBoy's behavior, but there was nobody around except the both of them. They were practicing at the top of the Titans' Tower.  
  
"Okay, the transformation practice is over!" he declared, walking toward Raven.  
  
'Oh, thank gods,' she thought. 'I thought this clown would never let me be.'  
  
"Um... I can hear what you're thinking as a raven, remember?" BeastBoy said with a wince.  
  
Raven cursed herself for what she had thought when seeing BeastBoy's hurt look on his face. The last thing she wanted was a fit and him canceling her lesson. But the green changeling recovered from that and proceeding with the lesson, he morphed into a hawk.  
  
"Okay now... let's work with the flying. How far up can you go without getting dizzy?" he said stepping back a bit.  
  
'Well, as far as I can when I levitate as my true self,' she thought while flying up as far as she thought she could stand. Getting back down, she stopped short and looked around swiftly.  
  
"It's not parallel to the tree! Don't you know ANYTHING?!"  
  
"I know that you're acting like a complete jerk!"  
  
She was hearing those voices again. They were just like the ones she had heard in the recovery room, but they didn't belong to any of the Titans. Raven began to think she was completely losing her mind, because she couldn't see anyone, just like yesterday when there was no other living being... except herself and those birds out the window...  
  
Wait a minute... birds out the window?  
  
Morphing herself back to normal, she walked briskly to the other side of the Tower. BeastBoy had no idea what was going on with her, so he also turned to normal and chased after Raven.  
  
"Hey! Hey, wait a minute!" he called out to her. "The lecture isn't over yet, girl! Hey!!"  
  
Raven ignored him and walked to the edge of the rooftop. Looking down at the nearest tree from their headquarters ((A/N: I know, I know there aren't any trees near the Tower, but in this fanfic there is one.)), she could hear the conversations a lot more clearly. At first she might have assumed that the trees were talking, but it was actually the birds.  
  
Raven stood aghast at this...  
  
"What'cha lookin' at?" BeastBoy said. When he finally reached her, he followed Raven's gaze to the tree. "Heh... birds? What got you interested in nature all of a sudden?" he said with a chuckle.  
  
Raven shot him a malicious glare.  
  
"Okay... I'll just leave you alone now..." Beast answered, backing away a little.  
  
"Did you hear that?" she said.  
  
"Hear what?" BeastBoy peered over the edge near Raven and listened intensively. He could only hear the waves splashing against the sand, the cars honking and zooming by from the city and faint tweeters of the birds...  
  
"The birds are arguing about the position of their nests," Raven said.  
  
BeastBoy stared at her like if she had just escaped from a mental asylum.  
  
"Oh-kay, Rae... I think those waffles have gone to your head now..." he grabbed her arm and led her to the exit. "You need some rest before we continue."  
  
Raven jerked away from BeastBoy and grimaced. "I'm serious, BeastBoy. I can hear them speak..." She walked back to where she heard the birds' voices. "Does this have to do with the new abilities I obtained yesterday?" she asked herself out loud.  
  
"It has to be..." Beast said, thinking Raven was talking to him. "I mean, it's like totally new skills that just have many possibilities! Man, you're so lucky..."  
  
Raven raised an eyebrow at him. "Lucky? What's so lucky about waking up every morning to hear hollering birds outside the windows?"  
  
"Of course, what I mean is that even though I can transform to any animal imaginable, I can't speak to them of hear them speak back. You, on the other hand, can hear them from so far! Those are just the small little things I envy every once in awhile... like the time I had to work with that Aqua Dude."  
  
He sighed, truly amazed at all that has happened for the last 36 hours. He looked sideways at Raven, half-expecting her to not be listening at all. But she was listening, and she was sort of feeling more and more privileged of her new powers. BeastBoy snorted and shook his head.  
  
"So... are we gonna get going?" he finally said.  
  
"Yes. Let's go."  
  
Both Titans turned and walked back to the center of the rooftop, where they could appropriately keep practicing new moves.  
  
------------------------------------------  
  
To Be Continued... 


	8. The Time Has Come

Jedi: Boy, it's been awhile! Soul Calibur 2 is so darn addictive! I thank those who miraculously found my last chapter in the sea of all the new TT ficcies. You are such brave souls... I would have never found this if it wasn't mine...  
  
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 8  
  
"This is so embarrassing," Raven muttered to BeastBoy.  
  
"Don't worry! You'll be fine!" he encouraged.  
  
All Titans, including Omen, were standing in a clearing near the bay. BeastBoy had brought them all there for a little demonstration. Starfire was on her toes, clasping her hands together in excitement. Robin stood with arms akimbo and a small smile. Cyborg kept looking at his watch and Omen was on the ground, practically ready to fall asleep.  
  
"Okay, okay guys! Look up here!" BeastBoy said. "Lady, gentlemen and Omen, I am honored to present my honorable student--"  
  
"And only student, thank goodness," Cy added.  
  
BeastBoy paused to give him a glare and then continued. "--who will be demonstrating her newest awesome talents that were all practiced to perfection with much help from yours truly!"  
  
"Um, BeastBoy?" Raven murmured.  
  
"Oh, right. Do your stuff, Raven."  
  
For the next five minutes, the Titans stood astounded at Raven's now rapid transformations. She had learned to perch, swoop, and to perfect her gliding. When she morphed back to herself and touched ground, the rest of the team applauded. Omen ran around in circles happily.  
  
"Not bad, not bad at all," Cyborg said.  
  
"How wonderful! Your new skills will aid us well, Raven!" Starfire said.  
  
"She's right," Robin agreed. "That was great."  
  
BeastBoy and Raven exchanged knowing glances.  
  
It has been two and a half weeks since Mistress Megara's humiliating defeat and Omen's arrival. Since then, so much has changed.  
  
Omen had begun to join the Teen Titans in missions whenever he wasn't lazing about. Unbelievably, he was a great addition to the team, always full of energy and very quick on his feet. He could trip over running burglars, dodge attacks swiftly, and his bite was sure worse than his bark.  
  
Starfire was completely enchanted by him. She always wanted him to sleep in her room, but Omen really slept wherever he felt like. Every night, he'd go to sleep somewhere he hasn't slept in before.  
  
And this one particular night two and a half weeks later, Omen found himself going somewhere the Titans never thought they would end up seeing him. Up in her room, Raven had just finished her meditating and was nearing her bed. She heard a shuffle behind her and turned to see the retriever, sitting down and glancing up at her innocently. She half-smiled and rubbed his chin... and then pushed the dog hard into the ground.  
  
He yelped slightly but Raven kept a straight face. "If you ever pull that on me again BeastBoy, you will have to learn to play video games with your tongue," she said to him.  
  
BeastBoy morphed back to normal, but he was smiling despite Raven's grimness.  
  
"At least I made you smile," he said cleverly.  
  
Raven didn't respond and turned her back from him and sat on the edge of her bed. She closed her eyes and hoped he would just leave. Raven and BeastBoy's duo training got them closer than ever, but there was something about them together that just didn't feel right to her. BeastBoy, however, didn't leave and sat down beside her.  
  
"Nice weather today, huh?" he said hesitatingly.  
  
"Mm-hmm..."  
  
"Moon looks pretty cool from up on the roof..."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
She knew this was torture to BeastBoy. But if he wanted to start a chat with someone like Raven, he's gonna have to do it right.  
  
"So Raven..... do you think you're doing well enough to cancel our little training sessions now?" he asked curiously.  
  
Raven turned to him. "Why? You don't want to train me anymore?"  
  
"No, no, no, it's not that," he blurted out. "I'm just wondering if you really don't want to spend much time with me anymore. Besides, I think you're ready."  
  
"You... do?"  
  
"Yeah, sure!"  
  
Raven blushed... something that she has been doing quite lately. She rested her head on her hands and thought hard. She was unconvinced. BeastBoy was doing this to prove if she really did like to spend her mornings with him. Waaaaaaayyy too obvious...  
  
"Seriously," she said. "What do you really think?"  
  
He gathered his thoughts silently and half-smiled. "I think you're going soft," he said.  
  
"Elaborate."  
  
"You've been different ever since Omen came. You react a lot to him, too."  
  
As if on cue, Omen entered the room and gave both Titans a doggy smile before curling up against Raven's bed to sleep. Raven sighed and got up. She didn't have the stomach to throw either BeastBoy or Omen out at the moment, so she paced the room silently.  
  
"See, I'm sure that normally I would be out of your room by now," Beast added.  
  
"That's true," she said. "But you have to remember that even if you're teaching me something as ridiculous as how to be a bird, I still respect you as my personal mentor."  
  
BeastBoy shuffled his feet and got up as well. "Rae?"  
  
Raven eyed him with a side-glance. "What?"  
  
"I really think that-- I mean, I... you and I and... the practices and... I- -"  
  
Before Beast could stammer any further, there was an explosion downstairs. They both turned to the doorway and Omen's head shot straight up. He barked twice before getting up and running downstairs. Starfire appeared at Raven's door.  
  
"Quick! We are being ambushed!!" she cried out and flew back down.  
  
BeastBoy grinned and looked at Raven. "Alright!! You ready to test those new powers?"  
  
Raven nodded and they both hurried downstairs to confront their opponent.  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
Jedi: Okay, baaaaaad way to post my triumphant return... but I promise the next chapter will be longer! Until next time! 


	9. The Omen to Their Rescue

Jedi: *checks calendar* O_O Aaah! It's 2004 and I haven't updated 'till now! I'm a failure as a writer!!! *bangs head against the keyboard* But no matter the obstacle, I will finish every story I start! Even if I takes until 2005!!  
  
Readers: ;;;  
  
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 9  
  
"What's going on?" BeastBoy asked immediately as he made it to area near the front door. Robin, Cyborg and Starfire were in fighting position, but there was no one there. Beast raised an eyebrow at them. "I... thought we were being ambushed..."  
  
Suddenly a blaring explosion went off behind him. Before he could turn around and see what was happening, Robin pulled him out of the way just before a giant flare was shot at the same spot he was standing in. Robin got up right away and looked around frantically, leaving BeastBoy gaping at the crater in the ground.  
  
"We are," Robin stated.  
  
"...I see..." Beast muttered, still staring at the crater.  
  
"The question now should be 'who the heck is it?'." Robin said.  
  
A small black figure with wings flew over their heads and caught the Titans off-guard. Cy cocked his blaster and Starfire was about to shoot out two starbolts, when BeastBoy reeled back.  
  
"Hold on! That's Raven!" he cried out a bit too late.  
  
Cyborg stepped down, but Starfire had just let the starbolts loose. Luckily, Raven summoned her shield not a second too late and the bolts bounced right into the walls. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Raven turned back to her real form. She glared at Starfire from afar.  
  
BeastBoy, still sprawled on the ground, laughed briefly at the close call.  
  
"I'm very sorry--" Star began, but another explosion sounded off, this time in the second floor.  
  
"I suggest you get up before I blow up your carcass, little man," a women's voice was heard from above and another flare came down to the Titans' direction. It barely missed and the rumbling stopped soon enough to hear the echo of a familiar sinister chuckle.  
  
"It's Megara..." Cyborg said, eyes narrowing.  
  
"Since when was she out of jail?!" BeastBoy spat out and stood up quickly. "How'd she get in here??!?!"  
  
"Are you kidding me? I've been here since this morning," she said. Her voice felt unusually close and the teens whirled around, trying to find Megara. "Don't bother... it's my new invention. It distributes my voice into any direction I want it to go. I'm quite proud of it, actually..."  
  
"I suggest you tone down the gloating," Cyborg shot back. "It won't do you much good when we're done with you!"  
  
"Titans, spread out!" Robin ordered.  
  
Starfire and Raven flew upstairs; quite sure they could find Megara wherever the loud explosions came from. Starfire landed in the hallway, about to run ahead. Raven quickly grabbed her shoulder, signaling her to stay put.  
  
"What's the matter?" Star whispered.  
  
"I sense a negative presence... she's close... and she's about to--"  
  
Raven was cut short by another explosion, this time sounding very close to her. She and Star jumped out of the way of the flare that always followed after the blast and Raven charged to its source.  
  
"Zinthos!" she recited, swiftly changing into a raven and produced an energy shield, making a flare reflect right back to its cause. Mistress Megara shrieked in surprise as her cloaking device was destroyed, making her visible again.  
  
"You sniveling brat!" she cried out. "You're first!"  
  
Raven paused in horror as she saw the mistress pull out the very same electric stun rifle she had used on the Titans before and squeezed the trigger, sending both Starfire and Raven down to the ground before they could dodge it.  
  
Megara smirked. "Like hitting two birds with one stone," she said.  
  
Meanwhile downstairs, BeastBoy tried to open the doors without any avail. Even the front door was tightly shut, although there was no lock upon it.  
  
"It has to be one of her inventions of some sort," Robin said. "Come on, there are other things to worry about now!"  
  
"Oh! Like saving your skin? Which I'm pretty sure you won't succeed in?" The mistress said with a laugh and shot them all into unconsciousness from a spot in the shadows. She walked out and kicked at their motionless bodies. "Now to finish them off," she murmured happily to herself and carefully switched dials in her electric rifle, changing it into a death- inducing weapon.  
  
"This was all way too straightforward," she said, aiming first at Robin sprawled on the ground.  
  
All of a sudden, she heard a strange noise and put the weapon down, thinking one of the Titans may have awakened. But instead, came a golden blur from her left and lunged at Megara, toppling her over.  
  
She cried out at the sight of Omen's face before her. Full of fury, Omen barked loudly at her and attempted to scratch her face. The mistress kicked the dog away and rolled over to reach for her rifle. Aiming for Robin again, Omen charged her again, this time biting her leg. The woman's scream caused BeastBoy, Cyborg and Raven to jump to their feet, for they weren't stunned directly, like Robin and Starfire.  
  
"Stupid Beast!!!" Megara hollered at Omen, putting himself between her and BeastBoy. "This is the LAST TIME I shall put up with you!!"  
  
She raised the rifle to the golden retriever and whirred up the weapon, muffling a cry from above her.  
  
"Omen!"  
  
BeastBoy and Cyborg looked up just in time to see Raven bounding from above and landing square on Megara's shoulders, knocking her out. BeastBoy grinned widely.  
  
"Way to go, Rae!" he cried out. Raven paused to smile at him briefly and then kneeled down to stare directly at Omen. The golden pup gave her a doggy smile and bounded around her, clearly knowing he had just been saved. Raven chuckled lightly, almost unnoticeably and did something that no other Titan ever thought she'd do.  
  
She stretched out her arms and hugged Omen contently.  
  
"First we actually get fanmail for the dog this morning, then we get beat up by a freak lady probably three times our age, and now this!" Cy shook his head. "The world just doesn't make sense anymore..."  
  
Raven let go of the dog and looked up, linking eyes with BeastBoy.  
  
"So, great mentor... weren't you going to tell me something before all this?" she said seriously.  
  
BeastBoy was dumbfounded for a second. "Oh? ...ohh! Y-Yeah, I was but, uhh..." he looked at Cyborg in a sideways glance and back at Raven with a pained expression. "...now?"  
  
"Now what?" Cy couldn't help but ask.  
  
"Nothing, it's just.... umm--"  
  
"Oh, no. Not good!!" Raven suddenly stood up frantically and ran upstairs. BeastBoy was about to ask what was wrong until he saw it for himself. Omen was gone.  
  
And so was Megara.  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
To Be Continued... 


	10. You Hate Children'

Jedi: Hi, I'm uh... back. I am extremely sorry I haven't updated in so long and I can only hope that the next update arrives much more sooner. Quick Disclaimer: You must remember that the Teen Titans are not owned by me. Megara is my character and so is Omen, which is actually my dog's name, spelled backwards. ^^ Here's chapter ten:  
  
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 10  
  
"Raven, wait!" BeastBoy chased after her, but to no avail. She was now in the top floors, out of sight.  
  
"Let her go, man..." Cyborg said solemnly. "This is just something she has to do."  
  
BeastBoy shifted his uneasy glance from Cyborg to the upstairs floor. "But-- But she's..."  
  
Robin sat up with displeasure, finally waking up from the shock, and the two other boys helped him to his feet. The leader scanned the place quickly to find the tower looking like a charred junkyard. He didn't comment or ask anything until he saw a still unconscious Starfire on the ground.  
  
His eyes widened. "Where's Raven?!" he questioned immediately.  
  
"She went after the witch," Cy muttered the reply.  
  
BeastBoy ran down the halls, once again willing to find his friend. "Where'd she go, dude?!" he said frantically, peeking into every room he passed by.  
  
"You and Cyborg keep looking for her!!" Robin exclaimed to him. "I'll wake Starfire somehow..."  
  
Robin heard their footsteps running up the stairs and he turned to Starfire, still sprawled on the ground with her mouth vaguely open like if she was sleeping. Robin shook her by the shoulders, calling out her name. As desperate of an attempt that seemed to be, it didn't wake her.  
  
"Oh, come one Star! Gimme a sign here!" In response, Starfire muttered incoherently, but was still out cold.  
  
Robin quickly ran to the bathroom and back, carrying a large cup of water and splashing it on the face of the alien girl. She sputtered and jerked upwards in a sitting position, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.  
  
"Blue pudding!!!" she cried out randomly, greeted by a confused-looking Robin. She giggled nervously. "Just a... sleep-induced illusion..."  
  
The boy wonder shook his head and helped her up. "Let's go! We gotta find the others!"  
  
Star followed Robin with no reluctance; but she was, in spite of everything, confused. She remembered the ambush and the explosions and the uncertainty right before she had fallen out cold. She also remembered the last time she saw Omen was when he ran past her before alerting Raven and BeastBoy about Megara's presence. Starfire let out a short gasp.  
  
"Where's Omen?" she asked anxiously. "I'm concerned..."  
  
Robin sighed and kept on moving.  
  
"So am I..."  
  
~\~/~  
  
With every step she took up the stairs, there was a piece of her dignity staying behind in the ground. Raven could not help but think this may have all been avoided. Nonetheless, she continued to run, reviewing all space in the Tower. Yet there was no sign of Megara or Omen. Starting to grow weary, she levitated and continued the search to the very top of the Tower.  
  
Seeming there was nowhere else to go, she darted to the exit that leads to the roof. Bursting through the door, she was greeted by the storm clouds that were building up over the crescent moon. And not took far from her, Megara was standing.  
  
Raven paused to look at her. The woman stood looking over at the horizon; Raven was standing at her left, but Megara did not turn to face her. Her jet-black hair wavered in the slight breeze as she stared ahead with a grim face. What next caught Raven's attention was a golden bundle by the Mistress' feet... Omen, looking quite lifeless.  
  
"So... here we are," Megara said, her expression unchanging. "It's just you and me now..."  
  
Raven's eyes darted from Megara to Omen.  
  
"Don't worry; he's not dead," she continued. "I'm not the kind of heartless individual that would waste the time of day to kill an innocent creature."  
  
"But you're heartless enough to kill innocent children?" Raven countered.  
  
"What ever do you mean by that?"  
  
"We know the orphanage fire was started by you. It may have been just to lure us into your trap, but you also decided to burn it down... for your own desire. You hate children. This thing about your boss, him being a teenager and then firing you.... this has to stop."  
  
Megara scowled as she turned towards Raven. The rivals were now face-to- face.  
  
"Who cares about my past?" Megara said in low and dangerous tone. "This now is about the future; MY future-- and how everything will be just like it was before... a dream come true... as soon as I get rid of you all."  
  
Sensing a threat, Raven jumped back and threw the first blow; her eyes glowing with hatred for the woman.  
  
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"  
  
An electric-energy shield protected Megara and dissolved Raven's blast into thin air. She laughed tauntingly, pulled out her weapon and aimed at her quickly. Raven seethed and bounded into the air, attempting to attack from above. The duel had officially begun.  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
To Be Continued... 


	11. Waste of Last Words

~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 11  
  
Raven's eyes glowered at the mistress under her attire hood. "I don't want to fight with you. Obviously, you are simply misunderstood and you must encounter aid."  
  
Megara reached for a buckle in her belt and she began to hover alongside Raven. "Your little speeches are just a waste of last words," she seethed. She smirked slightly at Raven's stunned face due to Megara being able to float in the air as well.  
  
Raven shook her head. "If it means you'll carry more hate for children, then I won't fight."  
  
"Doesn't matter," Megara said with a shrug. "The sooner you die, the better."  
  
The golden bundle that was Omen woke back up all of a sudden when hearing an unfamiliar battle cry from above. The young dog lifted his gaze upward to see Mistress Megara and Raven both fighting in mid-air. Consumed with rage against the black haired woman, Omen jumped up and down barking sharply, making unsuccessful attempts to reach up and bite the evil mistress.  
  
Raven had no idea how Megara was doing this, though she hinted it was merely a hovercraft that helped her stay up in the air. But Raven refused to fight back. Every time Megara would lunge at the goth-like teen, she would simply parry and trying to drag her to the ground. During a parry, Raven moved behind the mistress and shielded herself.  
  
Megara was finally fed up. "No use in combating back, huh? Fine!!"  
  
She did an unexpected turn and pointed her weapon of mass destruction to the very least of targets. She aimed down at Omen, who was still oblivious to the danger presented in front of him. Omen continued to bark angrily at her until Megara could withstand no longer.  
  
"Shut up, you beast!!" she hollered and fired at him.  
  
She didn't want to hurt the dog, but to merely play with Raven's mind. She expected Raven to react to this, and that she did. And that's when things went horribly wrong.  
  
The rest of the Titans made it into the scene at the moment when the mistress fired towards Omen. The beam of death narrowly hit Omen's robotic paw, which sent a shock through the pup's body. With a loud yelp, he stumbled backwards and hurtled off the roof's railing and towards the ground below. Even Megara herself paused at the turn of events.  
  
"Omen, NO!!" Starfire was the first to react and darted right after him. Second to react was Raven who let her guard down and followed Starfire. Megara took this to her advantage and quickly shot at Raven's left side, emitting surprised cries from the boys.  
  
"Oh, you've done it now, lady!!" Cyborg yelled angrily and with one cannon blast, he destroyed Megara's precious weapon.  
  
Megara gasped as her machine crumbled before her. She stared down at the palms of her hands. They were charred due to Cy's blast and at the momentary distraction, Robin grabbed her and pinned her to the ground; his left foot holding her down.  
  
"You're going back to jail," he said furiously. "And this time, we'll make sure you don't escape... ever."  
  
Raven began to plummet to her death, the blast had thrown her unconscious and she continued to fall until an eagle's talons grabbed at her shoulders. BeastBoy had caught her, but he didn't have the strength to take her back to the rooftop, so he gently soared down until they reached ground. Morphing back to his true form, he kneeled beside her, cringing at the sight of blood on her wounded hip.  
  
"Rae? Rae, are you okay? Raven!!" he attempted to wake her.  
  
BeastBoy sat back, relieved to see she was still breathing. The beam had barely missed her, so he figured she would be fine. From up in the Tower's highest level, it sounded like Robin and Cyborg were finally wrapping things up.  
  
Starfire approached Beastboy slowly, cradling Omen with both her arms. A tear trickled down her cheek as she stared down at BeastBoy, utterly speechless. Omen's chest did not heave. Was he...?  
  
"He's..." she tried to say, but choked up before she could finish. She buried her face on Omen's lifeless chest and sobbed quietly. BeastBoy's shoulders shook and he scolded himself, not wanting to cry as well. Wouldn't be good for my current image, he thought. But... what were they to tell Raven when she recovered? She was beginning to become so close to the retriever...  
  
There was a small sound and Beast turned to discover that Raven was already awake, staring wordlessly at the motionless Omen in Starfire's trembling arms. Raven opened her mouth to speak, but what came out was a shaken sigh. She stood up, ignoring the horrible, burning feeling in her open sore and she started to quickly limp towards the Titan Tower, not even bothering to stop and heal her wound.  
  
BeastBoy stood in alarm. "Raven, what are you doing?! Wait!!"  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
To Be Continued... 


	12. An Omen to Live On

*rubs temples in dismay* I am so sorry... aside from the delay, everything's going back on track. The epilogue comes after chappy 12. I'm rather proud of this chapter.  
  
~ The Raven's Omen - Chapter 12  
  
Leaving a trail of blood droplets behind, Raven ascended to her quarters clutching at her open wound. She closed the door behind her and locked it, making sure no one would come in. Sitting on her bed, her eyes transfixed on the wound, she began to hyperventilate. Not once in her life had she felt the need to let go of such an emotion as sorrow. She has felt it, but never expressed it.  
  
And she wasn't about to.  
  
Raven clasped her bedspread in pain and started to let out a few deep breaths, trying to become faint so she could just end it all. End all the misery, confusion and grief. Her injury grew worse as she allowed the blood to run to the ground.  
  
A knock on the door disrupted her.  
  
"Raven?! We know you're there!! Please, open up!" BeastBoy called out, followed by another few knocks against the metallic frame.  
  
A much gentler knock followed. "We merely wish to see if you are in need of any assistance," Starfire said as welcoming as she possibly could, but it still came out a bit shaky. "If this concerns Omen, maybe--"  
  
More desperate knocks interrupted Star. "Open the door, Raven!" BeastBoy cried out unsteadily.  
  
Raven refused to get up. Maybe if she stayed silent until losing consciousness, they would go away. She muttered 'Zinthos' as quietly as she possibly could and transformed into a raven. A large gash could still be seen near her abdomen and the pain was relived in a different way again. Ducking under her covers, she ignored BeastBoy's cries and closed her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rae, but I have to do this!!"  
  
There was a thundering crash as Raven's bedroom door fell and a surprised cry uttered from Starfire. BeastBoy had rammed the door open as a rhino and morphed back to normal to find a large red puddle forming beside Raven's bed. As if Raven's room itself wasn't petrifying enough. He and Star stared down at it wide-eyed, thousands of images going through their minds.  
  
"...Raven...?" Starfire said reluctantly, afraid that she would receive no answer.  
  
BeastBoy marched over the bed and pulled up the covers, only to jump up in surprise. "Ohh, ew! Th-There's a dead bird on her bed!!" he yelled. "Wait a minute... bird... raven..." He gasped loudly in realization and fear. "OH MY GOSH!" BeastBoy picked up the raven's fragile body, shuddering at its labored breath. She was still alive, but barely. "Don't give it up, Rae. You have to keep living! For Omen's sake! For the team's sake! For--" he paused, trying not to break down. "For MY sake..."  
  
He felt Starfire's hand touch his shoulder anxiously. She stared at him, a bit afraid of BeastBoy's unusual behavior. If he let this moment upset him all too much, there's pretty much no hope for Beast either. But sentiments aside, Starfire half-smiled at the green changeling. BeastBoy's caring side isn't something you saw way too often. And like an answer to a silent prayer, Raven thoughts were heard.  
  
'I loved him, guys...' she confessed in her audible thoughts. 'I loved him so much...'  
  
That was the last they heard of her as her black, beady eyes shut tightly and darkness consumed her.  
  
~\~/~  
  
'~Raven~' a soothing voice called. '~Raven, come~'  
  
She did not recognize the voice, but as she listened to its melodious tone, Raven found peace. She found happiness. She opened her eyes to be welcomed by a ray of light in a foggy atmosphere, its source unknown. Looking around, she attempted to find the melodious voice.  
  
'~Raven... I'm right here~'  
  
Raven turned around slowly, anticipating it to be the voice of an angel. But what she found it to be shocked her beyond all belief. Standing before her in the middle of this odd atmosphere, was her team's trusting little golden bundle.  
  
"Omen," she stated in shock.  
  
Omen stood on all fours, pulling out a doggy grin; the kind of face that would always make Raven smile on the inside. '~Yep. Surprised you, eh?~'  
  
"But... but I thought I could only speak to birds..."  
  
'~Well, you never tried to extend that power any further. You could have been able to not only hear me, but talk to me as well~'  
  
Raven looked at him dubiously. This was coming from the dog.  
  
'~Raven, why are you giving up?~' Omen said, sounding distressed.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
'~Since I met you, you were never a quitter. But here you are, willing to give life up just because I gave mine away for you?~'  
  
Raven could not respond. A knot was forming in her throat.  
  
'~I could have saved myself, ya know. I could have run away from that blast. But instead, I gave myself up so you could go on. Please, Raven. Please live on. Don't do it just for me... do it for BeastBoy~'  
  
"BeastBoy?" Raven managed to say. Many images flashed through her mind. She owed so much to BeastBoy. He had been such a great friend ever since she had discovered her new power. And as she thought of him, she found herself smiling for the first time in awhile. Omen trotted over to her and Raven knelt down and hugged the golden retriever once again. Omen barked happily and Raven grinned. "...I'll do it..." she promised. "I know someone whom I owe to very much."  
  
~\~/~  
  
Her eyes fluttered open and not even two seconds passed before she could hear the green changeling's joyous voice once again.  
  
"You're awake!!" he cried out, sitting beside her as she lay in the bed of the recovery room.  
  
"I'm aware of that," she muttered and looked at the surroundings. "How did I get here?"  
  
"After you blacked out, you turned back to your human form. I carried you over here and Robin took care of your wound."  
  
Raven tilted her head to see her bandaged hip. Some sort of anesthetic must have been placed on her, since she couldn't feel the fiery stinging any longer. She'll have to thank Robin later on. "Thanks... to both of you..." she said lowly. "What about Starfire?"  
  
"She and Cy are searching for a good place to put..." he paused and looked down sadly. Raven held up her hand, letting him know he did not have to explain. Everyone was clearly shocked enough for the day. BeastBoy changed the subject. "Well, anyway, mad scientist lady's back in jail. They must have put like 10 straightjackets on her, dude!" he beamed between laughs, recalling the memory.  
  
Raven smiled slightly at his comment. Megara wasn't going anywhere soon, that's for sure.  
  
She thought her eyesight was playing tricks on her when she saw BeastBoy trying to hide his teary eyes. "I really thought you were gone for awhile there," he said.  
  
"Sorry," was all she could say.  
  
BeastBoy snorted. "Sure you are. You were probably wishing you were dead, too."  
  
"I was. But then I realized; 'I just can't leave my favorite mentor behind, now can I?'" she said seriously.  
  
He looked up and grinned, still finding some sort of pleasure about Raven calling him her mentor... even if she was just joking. "Thanks for sticking around," he said, not having the nerve to say something else as Robin came into the room.  
  
"No problem," she replied with a monotone, but with a soft smile as well.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
To Be Continued... 


	13. Ups and Downs

~ The Raven's Omen - Epilogue  
  
They found the perfect place for it. A soft, grassy spot not too far from the bay. Omen's small grave was the thing that stuck out the most in that plain pasture. That day, the Titans held a moment of silence for their deceased honorary member. Omen would always remain in their hearts...  
  
~\~/~  
  
Raven sat on her bed, her back against the frame as she looked ahead blankly; like if someone had been fumbling with her mind. Besides her blinking and constant pulsing fingers, she looked completely immobile. Not even the knock on her door seemed to faze her.  
  
"Come in," she said monotonously, not even caring to ask who it is.  
  
The door slid open and Starfire and Cyborg walked in as quietly as possible. They both smiled slightly for her, even if she didn't notice it at all.  
  
"We just wanted to see if you were alright, Raven," Cyborg said.  
  
"...I lost it," she finally said. Star and Cy both gaped, confused.  
  
"What have you misplaced, Raven?" Starfire asked curiously, tilting her head.  
  
The goth girl's mouth hung open but then closed again. She either didn't feel like explaining it or just couldn't find the words for her to say. Cyborg followed her line of vision to the bare wall and looked back at her strangely.  
  
"She HAS lost it...!" he murmured to himself, raising an eyebrow.  
  
Starfire glanced from the wall back to Raven. "Perhaps we should go get Robin...?" she suggested, feeling 'weirded out' as well.  
  
Without another word, Cyborg ran out the door, leaving Starfire behind to stare worriedly at her only female companion in this place. Reluctantly at first, she hovered over to Raven's bed and kneeled down beside her, standing guard. Raven suddenly turned her head towards her -- the first movement she has done since she entered and her mouth opened vaguely again.  
  
"I lost the gift..." she said, now with her eyebrows raised.  
  
"Raven...?" Starfire repeated, hoping to get a much firmer grasp of what she was saying. Just then the rest of the Titans entered.  
  
"What is it?! What's wrong with her?!?" BeastBoy found himself blurting out.  
  
"Calm down, dawg. She's probably just shaken up. Looks like Starfire has it handled." Cy assured. They all closed the distance between them and Raven and they waited for the moment for it to all be explained.  
  
Raven sighed. "I got up this morning... and it was just gone. Can't turn into a bird, can't talk to them anymore," she admitted. "How?"  
  
The whole gang exchanged looks again. Raven's gift was not a curse; it was created by a toxic surge through her body. So... why has it been lifted? Would they ever find a reasonable answer to this in that very hour? Robin scratched his neck, desperate to break the ice.  
  
"I honestly don't know, Raven," he said. "But maybe it was just your time. Maybe it was something... you were not meant to handle the rest of your life."  
  
Raven understood. She flung her legs to the edge of the bed, standing up. Everyone else backed away and gave her room. Raven raised her expressionless face and walked past them. "Well... picnic, anybody?" she said, looking over her shoulder at their surprised expressions. They stayed there for a moment until Cyborg hooted with excitement.  
  
"Race ya'll downstairs!!" he yelled as he ran out the door, Robin and Starfire laughing and running after him. BeastBoy walked next to Raven, patting her on the shoulder.  
  
"Nice job, my student," he said. Raven smiled briefly before breaking into a sprint down the stairs. BeastBoy laughed and glided as an eagle after his friends. This was going to be another great day.  
  
~\~/~  
  
In the bowels of solitary confinement, Megara laid down in the middle of the windowless room; a straightjacket wrapped around her body. She shivered uncontrollably-- not because of the cold, but the surplus fury that boiled inside of her. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for that dreaded door to unlock and take her to her final fate. Megara opened her eyes when footsteps down the hall were approaching her cell.  
  
The door opened and closed. Someone was in the room. Megara stirred slightly. The only source of light came from a crack under the door, but it was enough to make out the silhouette of the man in her cell. She gasped and braced herself mentally for the worst.  
  
"Hello, Meg," his voice rang out. There was a trivial discontent in his voice, but Megara could sense his smirk. "I take it you are as displeased with your work as I am..."  
  
She didn't dare speak out. She rested her head against the floor shakily.  
  
"The Titans sure are a challenge for those unprepared. Not very often do I hire someone like you to take care of such a big task. I feel ashamed, really..." some kind of weapon cocked in the background. "And I have no choice but to keep my promise, Meg."  
  
He kneeled down beside her. Megara quivered when feeling something cold and metallic against her forehead. It was a gun. Another metallic surface reached up to her jaw as she saw it was her master's gloved hand cupped under her chin for her to stay unmoving.  
  
Her green eyes were filled with fear as she met his. "I have failed. I'm sorry..." she whispered.  
  
"So am I," he said unemotionally. "I'm sorry almost every person I hire... has to come to this. It is a true waste..."  
  
Outside the halls of the solitary confinement, an alien zapping noise is heard along with a bright flickering light that died immediately. Policemen and guards rushed to the scene, weapons drawn and kicked open Megara's cell... to find it completely empty, her straightjacket limp on the cement floor.  
  
As if she just... vaporized.  
  
The guards looked around, but no one was in the room besides them. They lowered their weapons as they stared at the scene confused. A camouflaged man stood alone, hiding from them behind the shadows; his laser gun flaccidly held in his right hand.  
  
~\~/~  
  
"Hike!"  
  
Cyborg threw a football across the park, Robin and BeastBoy running after it like mad, laughing all the way. Starfire stood under a tree beside Raven, cheering on the boys.  
  
She clasped her hands together, her eyes darting from one Titan to another. "Go, Robin! Go, BeastBoy! Go, Cyborg! Go..."  
  
"Starfire? You do know that they're just throwing the ball around, right?" Raven said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Vigor talk is most important when at recreation, Raven," Star answered what to her seemed like a rational answer. Raven just looked at her warily and stuck her nose back in her leather-bound book.  
  
Minutes later, Starfire joined the game and BeastBoy stepped out, walking in a happy trot and humming a distinctive tune as he approached Raven. He fell silent when approaching Raven, remembering the last time she was interrupted from her reading she had been quite peeved. Leaning against the tree trunk, he peered down at the book.  
  
"So... what is that you're reading?" he asked, in an attempt to sound engrossed.  
  
Raven returned the stare with raised eyebrows, giving him a look of almost unnoticeable surprise. But without another expressive falter, she lowered the book onto her lap and closed her eyes. "Nothing that might interest you. I've been reading about ancient hexing rituals... and those event you might call 'mumbo jumbo' or 'witch's brew'..." she murmured monotonously.  
  
BeastBoy frowned momentarily. "You're saying you got my character all figured out, huh?" he said with a smirk as he sat down beside her.  
  
Raven fought a smile and self-entertainingly levitated a rock near her to concentrate her energy into it, instead of letting it whip out as emotion. "Maybe, maybe not."  
  
There was a brief moment of silence before BeastBoy whipped out his traditional grin and slugged her knee lightly. "You know I don't like it when you go all 'mystery girl' on me."  
  
Raven didn't answer, but the glint she had in her eyes could clearly say a mischievous 'I know'.  
  
----------------------------------------  
  
THE END  
  
A/N: Crappy ending, I know. -_-;; Thank you to those who had not lost patience with my terribly slow updating. I almost lost faith on myself, actually. You guys rock beyond all measure. *salutes* Farewell. 


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